Half to j



(No Model.)

W. H. MELANEY.

BOOT OR SHOE HEEL.

. Patented June 1'7, 1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM H. MELANEY, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO J. KAUFMANN do BROTHERS, OF SAME PLACE.

BOOT OR SHOE HEEL.

J$PECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 430,586, dated June 17, 1890.

Original application filed August 5, 1889, $erial No.

319,710. Divided and this application filed January 17, 1890. Serial 'No. 337,193. (No model.) 1

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM H. .MELANEY,

a resident of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have in- 5 vented a new and useful Improvement in Boots and Shoes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to an improvement in shoes, its object being to provide a shoe with a removable heel which is adapted to be neatly secured to the heel proper of the shoe in such a way as to form a very close connection between the said removable heel an d heel proper, pnd yet provide for its ready removal thererom.

The present application is a division of an application filed by me the 5th day of August, 1889, Serial No. 319,710, for improvement in boots and shoes, and comprises certain means of securing the removable heels in place, all of which will be more fully hereinafterset forth and claimed.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will describe the same more fully, referring to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the rear portion of a boot or shoe with my improved heel secured thereto. Fig. 2 is a like View with tap-heel removed. Fig; 3 is a View of the inner face of the tap-heel, and Fig. 4is an enlarged cross-section thereof.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts.

In the drawings, a represents the rear portion of any boot or shoe, and although my invention is preferably used .in connection with the application hereinbefore mentioned, yet it is a distinct invention.

The heel proper b of the boot or shoe constitutes about one-third of the entire heel, and is secured to the upper in the ordinary manner. This heel proper Z) is composed of layers of leather secured together in the ordinary way; but instead of said heel presenting a 5 flat face, the layers of leather are so arranged that the said heel b when complete presents a slightly convex surface, as at b. A nut c is secured within a suitable seat formed for it in the center of the heel 1). One or more of these nuts may be employed, as maybe found necessary; but one in the center appears to be sufficient for all ordinary purposes. The nut c, which I prefer, has the flange c, said flange being supplied with the teeth 0 and is to be inserted from within, so that the said flange 0 will rest upon the upper surface of the heel b, and the teeth 0 be forced therein to prevent said nut from turning when the screw is inserted. Seats cl are arranged at intervals around the rim of. the heel b to reoeive corresponding nails or pins 6', secured in the tap-heel e, to further strengthen the connection between said tap-heel c. and the heel proper b. This tap-heel 6 may be constructed of any suitable material, and at a point therein corresponding to the position of the not 0 in the heel proper b is the tapering countersunk hole 6 adapted to receive the screw f. The screw f has the seatf formed therein, and is adapted to be operated by a key such as shown in the hereinbefore-mentioned application. The tap-heel e is constructed with its inner face 6 concave, and slightly more concave than necessary, to make it coincide exactly with the convex face I) of the heel proper b, so that when the two faces 6 and b are brought into contact with each other the outer rim of the concave face 6- will first come in contact with the outer rim of the convex face I). In this way, as the screw f at the center is tightened, a very close union is formed between the said heels.

To secure the tap-heel in position upon the heel proper, the convex face I) of the heel proper b and the concave face 6 of the tapheel e are brought into contact with each other, the nails c of said tap-heel entering the seats d prepared for them in the heel proper b. The screw-hole e in the center of the tap-heel will coincide with the nut c of the heel proper b, when the screw f may be inserted therein and tightened up by means of the key. As stated, owing to the convex face 1) and the concave face 6 a very close connection is formed between the heel proper and tap-heel, so that no appearance of connection between the two can be detected. Itis readily apparent that screw fiand nails or pins e',adapted to enter Io anyinexperienced person can remove the heel the seats d of the heel proper b, substantially and substitute a new one Without delay. as and for the purposes set forth.

What I claim as my invention, and desire In testimony whereof I, the said WVILLIAM to secure by Letters Patent, is H. MELANEY, have hereunto set my hand.

A boot or shoe having the heel proper b \VILLIAM I-I. MELANEY. provided With the convex face 1), seats d, and l WVitnesses: nutc, in combination With a tap-heel e, hav- J. N. COOKE, ing the concave face 6 countersunk hole 6 M. C. XVARNER. 

